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Monday, 30 April 2007

1815 French command (1)

These are photos of the first of the smaller command vignettes I prepared for Salute. The original idea was to have this stand and its twin sitting behind the Napoleon diorama, but there was no space. This stand was detached to command the Grand Battery of artillery that sat opposite La Haye Sainte. The figures are all by Perry, from the packs "Hangers-on" and "Staff and General Dismounted"; all save one figure from each pack are here. This vignette is designed to be the Imperial Guard command base. There are a General de Division and two Generals de Brigade in the front and a couple more individuals of General de Brigade rank amongst the hangers-on in the rear. Those are largely drawn from Guard regiments - the Dutch lancers, Empress Dragoons and the Tirailleurs of the Guard; the chap walking is an Old Guard Grenadiers senior officer in an undress coat. The gesticulating Carabinier officer seems to be modelled on a character pirctured in Osprey's "Napoleon's Commanders 2", General Louis Chouard (1771-1845). Chouard was promoted general in 1811 and led the 2nd Carabinier Brigade at Borodino. His uniform here is that of a general de brigade cut to resemble that of a senior officer of the Carabiniers. In 1815 he was not at Waterloo but rather in command of a cavalry brigade in the Army of the Moselle. The base is 100mm x 100mm, which is what I use for Corps-level command stands.